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Ol Doinyo Lengai, located in Tanzania, is the only known actively erupting carbonatite volcano on the planet (specifically, natrocarbonatites), and is one of the most unique volcanic landscapes on the planet. Carbonatite lavas are unique- they’re volcanic rocks with high levels of carbon that occur only in tectonic rifting zones. Ol Doinyo Lengai’s magma also contains high levels of sodium, meaning that the magma is water soluble. It also looks nothing like you’d expect magma to look like, as you can see in the video. The magma has been known to freeze in midair, and shatter upon hitting the ground. Short lived, strange looking sculptures dangling off rocks are also known to occur.

Disposable chopsticks are an environmental disaster. Known as Waribashi in Japan, where they were invented in the mid-eighteenth century; the overwhelming majority are produced in China, which is also their biggest consumer. China manufactures over 57 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks every year. An American company, Georgia Chopsticks, has gotten in on the business as well, producing billions more pairs each year. Others are manufacturing them as well- there is an unending demand. All of this adds up quickly. Even producing thousands of chopsticks per tree, it equals over 25 million trees felled per year. That’s over 10,800 square miles a year. An understanding of why they’re so used so heavily is essential in trying to find a solution to the problem. Somehow, a not insignificant portion of the conversation has decided that the disposable chopstick is a symptom of Western consumer culture. The truth is actually quite different: The disposable chopstick grew from chopstick-using cultures’ ideas of hygiene and etiquette. To explain why, we have to understand the history of the disposable chopstick.

Behold, the inevitable hiatus of the low level blog! Shall I return, or shall I recede into the depths of the internet, like so many blogs before me?

Actually, I’ll probably still post here and there. The main thing I’m doing is ending my weekly pull review and probably my weekly reading list as well. They take up tons of my time that could be spent on working on my actual fiction writing. Plus, I’ve started jogging, I’m working full time again, and I’ve just got somewhat tired of it for now. When’s the last time I’ve worked on my board game? Almost a year ago? Blah. Nope. I’m trying to read more nonfiction, too. I need to actually work on my projects for a while, instead of talking about other people’s projects. (Or awards drama.) I’ll be back, but when I do return, I’ll be taking this blog in a bit of a different direction.